Days In The Life Of The Sisters Grey
by boop-oop-ee-doo
Summary: AU series of drabbles and one-shots. What if Thatcher had remained in Meredith's life after he and Ellis divorced? What if she had met Lexie on the day she was born? What if they had always been sisters?
1. The Baby

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's.

AN: Season final.. 'Sob!' This is just a way of keeping Lexie alive in my head.

* * *

Seven year old Meredith Grey frowned as her Father, Thatcher, clung to her hand, leading her through the Hospital. She was going to see Daddy and Susan's new baby.

Meredith didn't like the new baby. Her Mommy told her that now her Daddy had a new baby with his new Wife, he didn't need Meredith any more. Daddy's new Wife, Susan, wouldn't bother being nice to her anymore. They wouldn't love her anymore.

Meredith didn't like the new baby at all.

"Here we are" Thatcher smiled as they reached the correct room. "Are you ready to meet your sister, Honey?"

Meredith stared at her feet.

"A little nervous, huh? That's okay, I was nervous about meeting her too."

Inside the room, Susan sat in bed, gazing adoringly at the blanket-swaddled bundle in her arms. As Meredith and Thatcher entered the room, she looked up, smiling.

"Hi, Meredith."

Meredith was confused. Susan still seemed nice enough.

"Hi."

"Would you like to come up here and sit with us?"

"Uh.. Okay."

Her Father lifted her onto the bed beside Susan. Curiosity getting the better of her, Meredith peeked into the blankets. A pair of wide, soft brown eyes gazed intently back at her.

"Lexie, this is Meredith" Susan cooed, tilting the bundle so both girls could see each other better. "She's your big sister!"

"Say Hello, Meredith" Thatcher gently prodded.

"Hello." Why didn't she like the baby, again? Meredith had forgotten.

Lexie gurgled happily, waving an arm and seemingly reaching for Meredith. Instinctively, Meredith reached towards her as well, and the baby curled a tiny hand around her finger.

"I think she likes you" said Thatcher, grinning proudly.

Meredith finally smiled.

"I think I like her too."


	2. I Love You, Little Sister

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's

* * *

"It's not fair on her, Ellis!" Thatcher hissed into the Phone, trying to keep his voice down so his daughter wouldn't hear.

Unfortunately, Meredith, from her spot in the lounge room, could hear every word. For her, arguing adults was normal. She somehow knew it shouldn't be, but it was.

It wasn't, however, normal for Lexie, her now six-month old sister, buckled into the baby swing beside her. Meredith moved to cover her innocent ears. Lexie giggled, earning a small smile from her big sister.

"You have to make time for.." Thatcher continued. "Of course I enjoy my time with Meredith, Ellis, you know I do, but.. Fine!" He slammed the phone back onto the receiver, frustrated.

Now that the conversation was over, Meredith removed her hands from Lexie's ears.

Thatcher took a breath to calm himself, before going to find his firstborn.

"Meredith, Honey?"

"Yes Daddy?" Meredith replied, knowing what was coming.

"Your Mommy's still very busy at work, saving people" Thatcher forced a smile, "So you're going to stay here again tonight, is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Good girl" Thatcher ruffled.

When her Father left the room, Mered ith sighed.

Hearing her sister upset, Lexie whimpered.

"Oh no, Lexie, don't be sad" Meredith panicked. She smiled an overly-large smile. "I'm happy, see! Really happy!"

Lexie's little face seemed unconvinced.

"I am happy.. But it would be nice if My Mommy didn't have to work all the time. You're lucky, Lexie, your Mommy's always here" Meredith sighed.

Lexie whimpered again.

"But" said Meredith quickly, hugging the swing that held her sister, "When I'm here I get to play with you, and that makes me happy for real!"

"Eh?"

"Yup, really! I love you, little sister!"

Levie giggled.


	3. The Babysitter

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's.

* * *

One Saturday night, Ellis was working, and Thatcher and Susan headed out on a date night, leaving Meredith and Baby Lexie in the care of Ellen, a teen Babysitter who had come highly recommended. Susan wasn't taking any chances with her children, yes, _children_. She loved Meredith like she were her own. But at the same time, she was also slightly more understanding of Ellis' work load than her husband.

* * *

"Bye, Lexie!" said Susan, handing the baby girl to Ellen and dropping a kiss to her forehead, before leaning down to kiss Meredith's cheek. "Bye, Meredith. Your Mom might call to pick you up later if she finishes work early."

"Okay. Bye, Susan!"

"Meredith, you'll be a good girl and help Ellen take care of Lexie, won't you?" said Thatcher as he headed for the door.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Good girl."

"Don't worry, Mr and Mrs Grey, they're in good hands" Ellen smiled, bouncing Lexie gently in her arms. "Everything is going to be fine."

* * *

And it was, for a while. Until Lexie started crying uncontrollably, for no apparent reason. Nothing Ellen did could soothe her.

"What's wrong?" The babysitter asked desperately. "Why won't you stop crying?"

Pitying the flustered teenager, Meredith walked to where she sat on the couch rocking Lexie, sat beside them, and offered her sister a finger, which the baby quickly pulled into her mouth, cries quieting.

"Hmm, just as I suspected!" said Meredith as though she were a detective.

"What?" asked Ellen.

"Lexie's teething again" Meredith explained, gesturing with her free hand for Ellen to deposit Lexie in her own small lap. "Go get one of her teething rings from the freezer."

* * *

So, all was well again.. Until it came time to feed the children.

"Come on, Lexie, open wide!"

Lexie's lips were clamped shut.

"Here comes the Airplane!" Ellen tried.

Lexie shook her head.

"You have to eat something!" cried the Babysitter exasperatedly.

Lexie shook her head, mouth shut tighter than ever.

Meredith stuck a finger in her sister's bowl, tasting the mush inside.

"Well there's your problem, Ellen" she said matter-of-factly. "Lexie hates Apple!"

* * *

Ellen gave Lexie bananas instead, and everything was fine.. Until bedtime. Lexie just would not go to sleep.

"Sometimes she needs a lullaby" said Meredith.

"Okay" said Ellen. "Which one?"

"The one from 'Dumbo'" said Meredith, "But it only works when I sing it. Sometimes I have to do it through the phone when I'm at my Mommy's." She sat in the rocking chair in Lexie's nursery, holding her arms out for her sister.

Ellen handed her over.

_"Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eye.."_

* * *

"How did they go?" Thatcher asked as he and Susan arrived home a short while later.

"Fine" Ellen chuckled. "Meredith was a great help. She really loves her little sister."

"We know" Thatcher smiled.


	4. First Steps

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's.

* * *

"Hello, Lexie!" Meredith greeted her just over ten-month old baby sister as she arrived home from school with Thatcher. Lexie was sitting on the floor, surrounded by her favourite toys, but as always, the sound of her sister's voice instantly captured her attention.

"Mediff!" Lexie squealed, clapping her little hands. "Mediff, Mediff!"

Meredith grinned. Lexie had begun saying her name, or at least her own infantile variation of it, about two weeks earlier, and it still made Meredith's heart swell with love every time she heard it.

"Well somebody's happy to see you" Susan smiled, looking up from the book she was reading.

"I'm happy to see her too" said Meredith. She pulled a sheet of paper from her school bag and sat beside her sister. "Today in Art class, we had to draw pictures of our family. We've done it every year, but this is the first one Lexie is in. See, there you are!"

Lexie giggled.

Meredith stood and showed the picture to Susan.

"That's a very nice picture, Meredith. Why don't you go put it on the fridge?"

"Okay" said Meredith, running into the kitchen.

Lexie fussed as her sister sped out of sight. On most occasions when this happened, she would just crawl after her. But not today. She wanted to walk, like Meredith. Lexie slowly stood on chubby legs.

"Oh my gosh!" Susan gasped. "Thatcher, get the Camera, quickly!"

Thatcher did as he was told.

Lexie took two shaky steps.

"What happened?" cried Meredith as she returned. "What's going.." Her eyes widened when she spotted her little sister, _walking _towards her.

Thatcher came back in time to record Lexie taking a few more steps, before stumbling and falling into her big sister's arms.

"Lexie!" Meredith gasped. "You're walking!"

"Mediff!"

"She walked for you, Sweetheart" Thatcher smiled.

"For me?" Meredith's eye's widened. "Really?"

"Mhmm."

"Wow."

"Mediff!"

* * *

AN: Aww. In the next chapter, Lexie swallows a piece of Anatomy Jane, resulting in a trip to Seattle Grace.


	5. A Trip To Seattle Grace

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's.

AN: Poor Ellen the babysitter. Oh well, enjoy :)

* * *

It was early evening in the Grey household, and the girls were once again being babysat by Ellen while Thatcher and Susan went out.

Lexie sat on the floor, gazing at the TV.

Meredith was nearby, playing with Anatomy Jane, a doll whose innards could be removed and then re-assembled. She was frowning. When she'd gone to the bathroom, all the pieces had been there when she came back, the stomach was missing.

"Ellen" she called into the kitchen, where the babysitter was fixing them dinner, "I can't find Anatomy Jane's stomach."

"Where did you see it last?" she asked, peeking in from the kitchen.

"It was right here!" said Meredith.

"Nom nom" said Lexie, pointing to her mouth.

Meredith and Ellen looked at her in horror.

"Lexie, you didn't!" Meredith gasped.

"Nom nom."

* * *

It was a fairly quiet night for Surgeries at Seattle Grace Hospital, so Ellis Grey was using the time to catch up on her charts.

"Mommy!"

Hearing the sound of her daughter's voice, Ellis turned in her chair, annoyed.

"Thatcher, I told you not to.." she paused, seeing Meredith standing beside a panicked teen holding a somewhat familiar dark-haired baby who looked about a year old. "You're not Thatcher."

"No, I'm Ellen, I babysit for him" she explained. "Uh, we've had a little accident, and when Meredith said you worked at a Hospital.."

"Mommy, Lexie swallowed Anatomy Jane's stomach!" Meredith cried. "You have to save her!"

"Meredith, I really don't have time to save your doll, I need to focus on rea.."

"Not the doll!" Meredith snapped, cutting Ellis off and startling her slightly with the intensity of her voice. "Lexie! You have to save my sister!"

Now Ellis remembered why the baby was so familiar. There were pictures of her Ex-Husband's second child plastered all over Meredith's Bedroom wall. She had never wanted to meet said child, seeing her as a reminder of Thatcher succeeding in an area of life in which Ellis herself was currently failing, but there was no avoiding it now. She swallowed.

"Chances are it will pass naturally. But come on, I'll get her in for a scan."

* * *

A short while later, Thatcher and Susan rushed frantically through the Hospital doors, pausing when they spotted Ellen and Meredith in the Waiting Area.

"Where's Lexie?" cried Susan in panic. "What happened?"

"She swallowed a piece of Meredith's doll" said Ellis, appearing behind them with Lexie in her arms. "She passed it. She'll be fine."

"Dada!" Lexie squealed, as Ellis handed her over to Thatcher.

"Thank you, Ellis."

"No need. I wasn't busy. And she is rather sweet, actually." Ellis walked over to where Meredith was sitting, pulling Anatomy Jane's Stomach out of her pocket. "I got this cleaned up for you."

"Thank you, Mommy" said Meredith, hugging her Mother's legs.

"Just be more careful with your toys in the future, alright?" Ellis ran a hand over Meredith's hair.

"Yes, Mommy."

"I should go" said Ellis, gently pushing Meredith away. "Lots of paperwork to catch up on." She turned to Thatcher. "I'll pick up Meredith Tuesday Afternoon."

"She'll be ready" He replied, nodding.

"Buh-bye, Mediff Mama" said Lexie, waving, as Ellis turned to leave.

Ellis almost smiled. She could see why Meredith loved her so much.

"Goodbye, Lexie."


End file.
